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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28216833">Wonderland</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfTheDunedain/pseuds/OfTheDunedain'>OfTheDunedain</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fusion, F/M, First Date, Quirkless Reader (My Hero Academia), Sabo plays matchmaker, Snowflake - Freeform, Twelve Days of Simpmas, Twelve Days of Simpmas 2020, Winter Festival, challenge piece, excerpt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:29:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,350</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28216833</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfTheDunedain/pseuds/OfTheDunedain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The sun was starting to set, the sky tingeing orange and pink as the deep hues of blue began to seep and stretch across behind them. The wind carried with it that cold crispness that spoke of winter, and though you shivered through your coat and scarf, there was a smile upon your face. Maybe it was the magic cast by the glowing strings of lights that canopied the festival’s streets, or the cheer that filled the air because so many smiling faces were out and about, milling through the stalls. </p><p>--</p><p>Rated "Teen" for mild language and themes that carry over from the larger piece.<br/>Future scene from Hearth and Home.<br/>One Piece/My Hero Academia fusion piece.<br/>Quirkless reader/hero track Ace.<br/>Fluff challenge piece for Simpmas, Day 10: Snowflake</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Portgas D. Ace/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Wonderland</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is an excerpt from a future chapter I have planned for my larger fic, Hearth and Home. While the larger fic *does* have some trigger warnings, this really doesn't have any. </p><p>This is in response to the newest challenge I have undertaken: Twelve Days of Simpmas. One character, 12 prompts for simping. Today's is "snowflake".</p><p>Please enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun was starting to set, the sky tingeing orange and pink as the deep hues of blue began to seep and stretch across behind them. The wind carried with it that cold crispness that spoke of winter, and though you shivered through your coat and scarf, there was a smile upon your face. Maybe it was the magic cast by the glowing strings of lights that canopied the festival’s streets, or the cheer that filled the air because so many smiling faces were out and about, milling through the stalls.</p><p>No matter which it was, though, it began to crumble as ten minutes bled to fifteen, and fifteen crawled onward to thirty and only one of the three you were supposed to meet at the entrance to the festival had even bothered showing up. And now that lone, black-haired companion was frowning hard enough, you wondered if the other end of the phone line could see it as clear as you could.</p><p>“Sabo, what the hell?” Ace grunted. He had turned his back to you, dropping his voice as if that were enough to hide his conversation.</p><p>It was not.</p><p>What had started out as a, <em>“Hey, where are you?”</em> had become, <em>“What do you mean you and Luffy aren’t coming?!”</em>. Whatever Sabo had said after that had made your company’s face flush and turn away, but the argument seemed far from over.</p><p>Sabo must have still been talking, because Ace was silent for a moment before he looked down at the phone. “I’m gonna kill you,” he hissed. “Sabo—hey. Don’t you dare hang up on me, asshole! Sabo? Dammit.” Ace continued in frustration, slamming his finger down on the ‘end call’ button before turning back to you.</p><p>“Everything all right?” You asked carefully.</p><p>“Yeah. Yeah,” the teen repeated in the affirmative, running a hand through his hair. “Just seems Sabo and Luffy aren’t making it after all. So it’s…just us.”</p><p>“Oh. And they were so excited, too—especially Luffy…” <em>Just us?</em> You parroted in thought, studying the young man’s face. He did not look overly pleased by the thought; in fact, his dark eyes were flickering over the crowds and stalls—anywhere but you, really—as his lips fidgeted between a frown and placid calmness. “I’m sorry,” you offered quickly, trying to assuage the strange expression on the young man’s face with a small smile.</p><p>Dark eyes suddenly snapped to you as if on tethers, a subtle lift of his brow and the widening of his eyes enough to relay that <em>something</em> had just occurred to him. “Wait. Sorry? Oh. No, that’s not—” Ace began to fumble, pausing for a breath to regain himself and work his lips into that smile that felt like summertime. “I still want to check this place out with you. It’s just those assholes should’ve called <em>before</em> we were waiting out here for them for thirty minutes. That is…if you still wanna head in…?”</p><p>The faint lift of the question was hopeful. Eager. Yet, you missed the inflection as you cast an eye further down the street, spying the vendors and feeling your chest tighten. You had already finagled the night off from work, and since your father still thought you were going to be at the bookstore until closing…</p><p>Ace was studying your face, watching as your lips curled, a glitter of excitement in your expression. “Yeah!” You piped, the sound bubbling forth in eagerness yourself. You looked back up to Ace, and the grin he wore was contagious—and one you had never quite seen before.</p><p>“Then c’mon,” he hummed, a sigh nearly riding the words as he motioned for you to follow. “I promise I’ll show you a great time.”</p><p>You skittered forward, falling into step at Ace’s side as your excited grin once more returned to your face. Beside you, you did not notice the way Ace smiled as he watched your eyes swivel left and right, drinking in the stalls, the music, the people milling around, and all the rich colors that lined the street, nor did it occur to you that the slow, distracted pace you had managed to coax from your steps was far slower than Ace could have managed. Still, when you excitedly turned to him, eyes dancing in the shining light of the canopied strings of holiday bulbs, he had not so much as drifted an inch from your side.</p><p>“You look excited,” Ace commented with a laugh.</p><p>Sheepishly you looked away once more, the pink dusting of your cheeks a mix of both elation and chill from the wind that was coming in off the water somewhere ahead. “I’ve never been to something like this before,” you quipped somewhat defensively, even though you could see plain enough upon the senior’s face that he was hardly being malicious with his observation.</p><p>“Seriously?” His brow lifted. “Then you get to pick what we do first!”</p><p>“Oh, no, it’s all right,” you started, but the fire-quirked senior smiled at you so exuberantly that you got nowhere beyond that weak protest.</p><p> “Nope. I insist,” he pressed. “I told you I’d show you a good time, right? Don’t be shy! What do you wanna do?”  </p><p>Down the main street were vendors; the scent of food, both sweet and savory, clouded the air like a perfume, though the stalls were more than just things to eat. Local craftsmen had peppered themselves along the curbs, their shiny baubles and unique wares making a wash of rainbow hues stream down the road. The local brick and mortars appeared open late as well, the lights of storefronts spilling golden upon the sidewalk, their doors propped open in hopes to capture the people who moved up and down the way.</p><p>As another wind blew, a scent of fresh firs began to overshadow the restaurants and food trucks; what you had thought was the pleasant aroma of the ample decorations that were out was actually in part coming from a copse of live trees under a grand red tent at the end of the road, a local farmer eagerly matching families with their perfect fir.</p><p>In truth, you would not mind seeing what the vendors were offering, though you knew funds were likely too tight for you to indulge in any of it. The trees themselves looked lovely, though you had no room for anything like that in your apartment—not that your father would even want one. For a moment your mood soured, though it was soon to bounce back as your eyes moved over toward the central park behind the street. Laughter and squeals had captured your attention, and underneath the sign that read <em>“Wonderland by Aokiji”</em> you could see children running around, their boots squelching into a blanket of thick white.</p><p>“They have <em>snow</em>?!” You gasped, hands coming to clasp before you.</p><p>“Of course,” Ace grinned. “It’s like a staple—they have it every year.”</p><p>“And there’s so much of it too,” you trilled. “I bet you could actually build something out of it!”</p><p>“Hmmm,” Ace hummed playfully, dark eyes dancing as he eyed your glowing expression with an excitement of his own. “Wanna go build a snowman?”</p><p>“Really?!” You turned to him, the gleam in your eye like stars. Slowly, though, your smile turned into a small frown, and you looked back toward the mounds of man-made snow hesitantly. “…But isn’t it meant for kids?” You asked, a mix of embarrassment and doubt making it somehow hard to look upon his face at all.</p><p>The freckle-faced senior merely laughed. “Nah, there’re adults in there, too.”</p><p>“Yeah, <em>with their kids</em>,” you pointed out. Still, Ace was already nudging you forward, and you had little choice but to keep your feet moving.</p><p>“Let’s go, it’ll be fun!”</p><p>He caught your eye, the summery smile he wore made your heart stutter. “A-all right,” you conceded, forcibly taking your eyes away from him, suddenly finding him too handsome to look at, and looking instead toward the archway ahead, and the tall, dark-skinned man in the white suit that stood underneath it.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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